Pay TV’s video on demand is pretty sticky.
Viewers watching 30-minute shows on their cable operator’s VOD system watch those shows 50% longer than live viewers and 33% more than other time-shifting viewers, according to a new report by the Video Advertising Bureau.
Those viewers are watching an hour more per month than a year ago, and their ad engagement is up as more programmers and distributors utilize dynamic ad insertion technology that enables advertisers to target audiences with relevant messages, according to VAB, which represents broadcast and cable networks, as well as multichannel video program distributors.
“MVPDs’ VOD viewers are committed to the content," Evelyn Skurkovich, VP of research and insights at the VAB, said. “They are passionate about catching up with these programs and are willing to watch ads that can’t be skipped.”
The study counters the notion that subscribers get frustrated by not being able to skip ads when watching shows on demand.
In the report, VAB found that convenience was the No. 1 reason why viewers use VOD, with 81% citing that as their motivation. Catching up with shows was also big, mentioned by 73% of respondents.
VOD was in demand across all age groups. More than 60% of all generations said that watching VOD programming on an online mobile device is not as good as watching on a bigger screen.
More than 60% of viewers in generation Z, millennials, gen X, and baby boomers said they wished there were more VOD programming choices available. Among the older silent generation (age 65+), 39% agreed with that statement.
